A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position is disclosed. The smart card connector comprises a contact support; a plurality of reading contacts attached to the contact support at a terminating end thereof, each of the reading contacts comprising a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card and at least one control bulge for pivoting the contact bulge into contact with the contact pad of the smart card; a sliding element slidably mounted in the contact support so as to be movable between an initial position and an end position, the sliding element comprising a contact actuating member that engages the at least one control bulge as the sliding element moves toward the end position and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position, said smart card connector comprising: a contact support; a plurality of reading contacts attached to the contact support at a terminating end thereof, each of said reading contacts comprising a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card, and at least one control bulge for pivoting the contact bulge into contact with the contact pad of the smart card; and a sliding element slidably mounted in said contact support so as to be movable between an initial position and an end position, said sliding element comprising a contact actuating member that engages the at least one control bulge as the sliding element moves toward the end position and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position.
2. The smart card connector of claim 1 , wherein said smart card, when it is inserted into the smart card connector, slidingly moves said sliding element only in the last millimeters before the smart card reaches its reading position.
3. The smart card connector of claim 2 , wherein the last millimeters are 2 millimeters.
4. The smart card connector of claim 1 , wherein said contact actuating member includes inclined surfaces formed on the sliding element.
5. The smart card connector of claim 4 , wherein said inclined surfaces are formed by recesses.
6. The smart card connector of claim 1 , wherein said contact actuating member comprises: a first recess provided in the sliding element; and a second recess provided in the sliding element spaced longitudinally from the first recess.
7. The smart card connector of claim 6 , wherein said contact actuating member further comprises first and second contact support surfaces adjacent to the first and second recess on the sliding element that support the at least one control bulge and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card.
8. The smart card connector of claim 7 , wherein, the plurality of reading contacts include first reading contacts and second reading contacts alternately mounted to the contact support, the first reading contacts being shorter than the second reading contacts such that the contact bulges of the first reading contacts project different distances away from the contact support than the contact bulges of the second reading contacts.
9. The smart card connector of claim 8 , wherein the sliding element comprises abutment surfaces of the that abut a front edge of the smart card when the smart card reaches its reading position.
10. The smart card connector of claim 1 , wherein reset springs are provided as coil springs and are located in the contact support at one side thereof.
11. A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position, said smart card connector comprising: a contact support; first reading contacts and second reading contacts alternately attached to the contact support at terminating ends thereof, each of the first reading contacts and second reading contacts comprising a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card and at least one control bulge for pivoting that reading contact into contact with the contact pad of the smart card, and each of the first reading contacts being shorter than each of the second reading contacts such that a distal end of each first reading contact projects a different distance away from the contact support than a distal end of each second reading contact; a sliding element reciprocally slidably mounted in said contact support between an initial position and an end position, the sliding element being slidingly moved by the smart card when the smart card is inserted into the smart card connector and comprising abutment surfaces for abutting a front edge of the smart card, longitudinal sides, and guide ribs which form guide chambers that extend inclined with respect to the longitudinal sides for guiding at least the of second reading contacts ;and a contact actuating member that can be brought into engagement with the at least one control bulge such that the contact bulges of the first reading contacts and second reading contacts will contact corresponding contact pads of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position, the contact actuating member comprising a first inclined surface formed on the sliding element by a first recess, a second inclined surface formed on the sliding element by a second recess that is spaced longitudinally from the first inclined surface, first and second contact support surfaces formed on the sliding element adjacent to the first and second recesses, respectively, and with which the first reading contacts and second reading contacts abut when the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are in contact with the corresponding contact pads of the smart card.
12. The smart card connector of claim 11 , wherein the contact support comprises transversely spaced guide noses projecting away from a wall of the contact support and forming guide slots for guiding at least the of first reading contacts.
13. The smart card connector of claim 12 , wherein the contact support further comprises an upper surface and a bottom surface and forms a sliding element receiving opening that extends between the upper surface and the bottom surface.
14. The smart card connector of claim 13 , wherein a cover, is mounted on the upper surface of the contact support.
15. The smart card connector of claim 14 , wherein the cover is a resilient metal cover.
16. The smart card connector of claim 15 , wherein the metal cover is mounted at snap and card guide noses of the contact support.
17. The smart card connector of claim 16 , wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are pressed into the contact support at the terminating ends thereof.
18. The smart card connector of claim 17 , wherein each of said first reading contacts and second reading contacts comprises a termination section at the terminating ends thereof, a spring section, a control section with the control bulge, and a contact section with the contact bulge.
19. The smart card connector of claim 18 , wherein the termination section comprises a termination tongue and subsequent thereto a mounting section that is of a “U” shape and comprises detent teeth.
20. The smart card connector according to claim 19 , wherein the mounting sections formed by the reading contacts are provided with harpoon-shaped noses.
21. The smart card connector according to claim 20 , wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are, in the area of the spring section, inclined with respect to the termination section so as to extend in an inclined direction in the smart card connector, and the contact bulges of adjacent reading contacts are located behind each other on a line parallel to a direction of insertion of the smart card.
22. The smart card connector as set forth in claim 21 , wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are lifted from below an insert plane when the smart card is inserted into the smart card connector, said insert plane being defined by a surface of the smart card connector that supports the smart card.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 21, 2006
February 22, 2011
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